vantec psu making noise, replacing fan...anything i shouldnt touch?

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hmmmuhoh

My vantec psu (470w stealth) has been making some wierd noises
lately.. It's the fan that goes on the back (near power cord). I
opened up the psu to clean it from dust (just use air can), but that
didn't help any. So I was thinking about just replacing it with
another fan (probly 80mm stealth, they look about the same). But
before I do that, I was wondering if there's anything in the psu that
I shouldnt touch/get near? You know, something that holds a charge and
such... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
 
My vantec psu (470w stealth) has been making some wierd noises
lately.. It's the fan that goes on the back (near power cord). I
opened up the psu to clean it from dust (just use air can), but that
didn't help any. So I was thinking about just replacing it with
another fan (probly 80mm stealth, they look about the same). But
before I do that, I was wondering if there's anything in the psu that
I shouldnt touch/get near? You know, something that holds a charge and
such... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...


Unplug PSU from AC for a few minutes first, then it won't
matter what you touch.

The fan is probably sleeve bearing and simply failed first
because the exhaust is hotter than intake. If so then
lubing it should suffice, and go ahead and lube the others
too.
 
hmmmuhoh said:
My vantec psu (470w stealth) has been making some wierd noises
lately.. It's the fan that goes on the back (near power cord). I
opened up the psu to clean it from dust (just use air can), but that
didn't help any. So I was thinking about just replacing it with
another fan (probly 80mm stealth, they look about the same). But
before I do that, I was wondering if there's anything in the psu that
I shouldnt touch/get near? You know, something that holds a charge and
such... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Click to expand...

The stealth fan will be quieter but it will spin slower. You need to
check the airflow rate for the stealth. Or use a thermo-controlled fan.
I replaced a PSU fan with a Vantec stealth but was concerned about the
airflow rate being significantly lower, so I added another stealth fan
on the grill in the backplate meant for another backside (exhaust) fan.
Since the PSU fan was soldered onto the circuit board in the PSU and I
would have to take it apart inside to get under the circuit board, it
was easier to slice the new fan to the old wires (snip, slide on
heatshrink tubing, strip, splice and solder, slide the heatshrink over
the splice, and heat it up to shrink it). Make sure you mount the fan
to it exhausts out thought the backside of the PSU.

With a Vantec stealth 2-ball bearing thermoflow running around $7, and
since you have it apart anyway, then just put in another fan instead of
lubing it. You can lube it to see if that quiets it but I'd do that
while I was waiting for the new fan(s) to arrive. Also, instead of just
blowing the dust out of the PSU and off the fan, use a swab to rub and
clean off the dust from the blades of the fan. While it may be worn to
allow too much movement of the spindle, it could also be out of balance
because of dust clinging to the blades.
 
<snip>

Or use a thermo-controlled fan.

Beware that many PSU with integral fan speed control have
the potential to not be compatible with fans also having
thermal control circuit, often the fan won't spin up at all
until PSU is VERY hot, if at all. Analternative can be
bypassing the fan control circuit and wiring direct to 12V
rail, but the integral fan control circuit may do just as
well as the fan's control circuit if not better.
 
<snip>

Or use a thermo-controlled fan.

Beware that many PSU with integral fan speed control have
the potential to not be compatible with fans also having
thermal control circuit, often the fan won't spin up at all
until PSU is VERY hot, if at all. Analternative can be
bypassing the fan control circuit and wiring direct to 12V
rail, but the integral fan control circuit may do just as
well as the fan's control circuit if not better.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info guys, i'll try lubing it before ordering fan (it's
weekend soon anyway so wont get sent out). The psu I got has 3 fans on
it allready (intake on "front", on "bottem", and exhaust), so
hopefully there won't be too much of a heat problem due to the lower
airflow of the fan... I'll look out for the psu + fan with speed
control incompatibility issue. Thanks for the help!
 
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